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So I have been bouncing around the idea of putting together a simple publication for the wet plate community. I have bounced the idea of a few forum members and they all seemed to think it would be a good little thing to have.

Let me be straight about the idea so no one thinks it is for some commercial gain or anything like that. I am a big fan of the turn of the century quarterly publications that were around that contained the works of what have come to be known as some of the most recognized artists of our time. Camera work stands out among these for me. There seemed to be something fantastic about holding in your hand good quality reproductions of work by current practitioners of the evolving arts and process at the time. I like the in hand idea of it all.

I would like to be able to display work sent in by the artists, that they feel show what it is they want it to show. While also displaying a clear notion of their grasp of their medium. No preconceived ideas of what is right or wrong as far as the work goes. Just simply quality works that move the viewer in some way or another.

I would also like to compile a list of those giving workshops and classes in the various processes around the country. So there is an easy index for new comers to search and find people that are respected in the field, so they can get a good footing as they start out. Without fear of being ripped off and sent in a direction that could actually hurt them in the long run.

There would also be a section for the people that are providing services and products based around wet plate. The whole Dana/Yaquina thing really got me thinking of how the internet gives people the ability to change their name and keep on with their shitty practices and screw people. So I think a list compiled with community backing and support would be a great guide to help people searching for products or services and would give the supply channel a little help. I would not be seeking ad revenue for these slots.

Also I have spoken to a few well known experts on different subjects about them adding in a page once in a while to help school some of us that are not up on all the tricks and unknown goodies to be had out there. Wisdom is a great thing.

Then add in tidbits and articles taken from publications from the wet plate era, from the likes of the Philadelphia Photographer and such.

So in a nutshell I am looking to spend my time this winter putting something like this together. I am curious who would be interested in getting something like this in the mail every few months? I am talking to a few printing firms here in NYC that could do it for a fair price. So it would simply cost the subscribers what it cost to print the issue and then the postage by media mail. Which would not be much.

So who would be interested in sharing their work, words and wisdom? I want this to have a very community driven movement behind it. Plus it would be a cool thing to have on your coffee table at home when friends stop by.

I am thinking if it can be done to do it in a nice larger format so the detail does not get lost.

If anyone wants to send me some samples of their work or gives me permission to pull work from their online galleries, please let me know. Nycgh@hotmail.com
I already have some outstanding artists adding their work.

Sorry the main site for this project is lagging, I am not super web design savy.

I think its a great idea, even though I didn't watch your video or go to your FB page. I say just do it. I would check it out even though I've never done wet plate, and now that its so popular I probably never will. But I like looking at it.

Why is collodion so "glamour" recently?
I'm still waiting to see working collodion app for iPhone

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Glamour!!! Yes!! We are going to see John Coffer on the cover of GQ! I simply feel its people reconnecting with the base of hand processed photography. Gaining understanding about how the images are really created, obtaining education over how to mix your own chemicals and how those chemical compounds act and react to render the image. I think that it is great that more people are gaining an interest in wet plate photography, it helps it evolve and change. The boundaries get pushed a little further by anyone new who comes in and sticks with it. Thats the hardest part people new to wet plate find that they have to over come. getting beyond all the steps that need to be taken to do wet plate. Learning something that is always changing and always challenging is very hard for some people.

There could never be an app that recreates a wet plate image, there are simply too many variables at play here. They way colors are rendered through the development and fixing varies in such a great way from artist to artist and chemical compound that it would be impossible to be able to make that happen without a great deal of time personally replacing colors to try and emulate a wet plate photograph. Many have tried through photoshop and there is yet to be one that is close to the real thing. The color spectrum is so far removed from what we see, that its hard for the minds eye to comprehend the conversions of tone and color from normal to wet plate produced.

There is a huge part that chance plays into every wet plate image, so that is also something that can not be recreated with ease. Non the less, I think it is great to see more people showing interest in one of the founding processes of photography. Mix that with albumen or a series of other long forgotten printing processes and you have some outstanding craftsmanship focused on turning out beautiful art work.